Songs of War Book 1: The Prophecy

Chapter 2: The Hooded Man

Thalleous had been tracing the path of the Crags River for days, despite the persistent pain urging him to stop and rest. Each time he felt the urge to pause, he looked down at the child he carried, a constant reminder of the promise he made to his parents before they sacrificed their lives for him to escape. Thirst drove him to stop now and then to drink from the river, but he lost track of time and couldn't tell how many days had passed since the duel. The canyon offered no glimpse of sunlight until he finally reached the end, which he knew he had to reach by following the river to reach their destination, Ataraxia. With each step, hunger gnawed at him, and he didn't have the time to scavenge supplies from the fallen boat. He knew there could be more Voltaris on their trail, so he pressed on, his weakening body weighed down by the hungry cries of the child in his arms. In the darkness at the bottom of the crags, the river continued its endless flow, and with each step, Thalleous grew more paranoid.

"HOW LONG CAN THIS CANYON GO?!" screamed Thalleous before he fell and knocked the baby out of his hand. Thalleous tried to catch the kid, but he collapsed in the attempt. Thalleous urged himself to get back up, but his body refused as the body needed to rest, but Thalleous's mind kept on the fact that he must go to Ataraxia. But how could he? What's the point anymore? The Nether Army ravaged the entire realm of Ardonia, the Voltaris began the hunt for other Ardoni Clans, and the Enderknights' Dragon does not sore the sky of Ardonia as they used to. Chronos reign supreme in the realm of the overworld, and there's little to no opposition against them.

Thalleous suddenly heard footsteps behind him, and his first thought was that it might be another Voltaris. He swiftly jumped to his feet, ready to draw his sword, only to find that it wasn't a Voltaris but a figure cloaked in black, with the hood obscuring their face. Thalleous could only see a dark void where the man's face should be. The mysterious figure held a formidable stone spear in his right hand, old yet exuding immense power.

"Who are you?" Thalleous inquired, eyeing the hooded figure, but received no response. The figure stared at him wordlessly, sending a chill down Thalleous' spine.

"Can you help me?" Thalleous asked again, hoping for an answer, but the figure remained silent, staring at him with that empty hood.

"Say something!" Thalleous yelled at the figure in frustration, but there was still no reply. The silence and the faceless presence of the hooded figure unnerved Thalleous even more.

Thalleous glanced down at the ground, only to realize that the hooded man was walking away, seemingly ignoring the baby's cries. Thalleous looked back at the man, his hand tightening around his sword, and demanded, "You put the kid down now!"

The hooded man didn't comply but approached Thalleous, who struggled to lift his sword properly due to his weakened state. However, before a confrontation could arise, the hooded man handed the baby back to Thalleous, leaving him speechless.

"Follow me," the hooded man said in a toneless voice. "Thalleous, the Master's Champion."

The name "Thalleous, the Master's Champion," was bestowed upon him when he had volunteered to fight on behalf of the Four Ardoni Clans against the Voltaris during their attempt to migrate South. Back then, the title had brought him success and praise from all four Clans. But now, it was a name that the Voltaris rallied against. Ingressus, the Voltaris Master, had called for his Bladesinger to take down Thalleous and bring back his sword as proof of his death. The Winter Wolf used it as a rallying cry against the Master. That name had become the cause of the ongoing war across Ardonia with the Nether, and it had cost Thalleous his family and everyone he ever cared about.

"Please," Thalleous said sadly, "Don't call me by that name."

The hooded man didn't reply, but he nodded to Thalleous as he turned and began to lead the way.

Thalleous continued to follow the Hooded Man, but he maintained his distance, wary of the man's intentions. He couldn't be sure if the Hooded Man were working with the Nether or Tygren's band of Voltaris Bladesinger.

They traveled for hours, or perhaps even days, and Thalleous lost track of time. They came across a broad valley, where the creek had turned into a river, and the flat stones had become sharp, pointing towards the sky like knives. Thalleous looked up and saw the bright blue sky, a sight he hadn't seen in a long time, and he felt a glimmer of happiness.

"It's daylight," Thalleous mumbled, relieved. He looked down and saw the Hooded Man staring at him with his faceless face, which gave him an eerie feeling.

"Ahead," the Hooded Man said without any tone in his voice. "Follow the river. Alone."

Thalleous looked at him, feeling somewhat grateful. "Thank you," he said before turning to follow the river, as instructed by the Hooded Man.

Thalleous turned to the Hooded Man as he spoke again, this time with a grim tone in his voice, mentioning the boy and his role in a war to come.

"The Boy," the Hooded Man said, pointing at the child, "Big roles he has in a war to come."

Thalleous furrowed his brow, trying to understand. "What do you mean?" he asked, puzzled.

The Hooded Man pointed at the child again, emphasizing his words, "Train him you must," and then he pointed at his other bags, which carried the Prime Song, "Expose him to it, you must."

Thalleous stared at the Hooded Man, feeling curious and concerned.

Thalleous was perplexed by the hooded man's cryptic words. "How did you know?" he asked, but the man remained silent. Instead, he surveyed the valley and spoke gravely, "Forever protect you, the valley cannot. Ready the boy must be, when the Entity comes."

Thalleous nodded, though he was unsure of what the man meant. He turned to walk away, thinking the hooded man should join him in Ataraxia, where it was safe, rather than remaining in the crags where the Nether Army could find him.

"Sir," Thalleous called out, "there's a settlement down the river. You should join us!" However, when Thalleous turned around, the hooded man disappeared without a trace. "Sir?" Thalleous looked around, perplexed. He couldn't fathom how the man could have vanished so quickly, but there was no time to dwell on it.

As Thalleous looked up at the sky, he realized that the bright blue had turned into a foreboding greyish hue, and the sound of thunder echoed in the distance. The situation was becoming more urgent, and Thalleous braced himself for what lay ahead.

Thalleous sighed, wishing the hooded man well. He then turned and walked briskly towards the end of the crags, eager to finally reach his destination. He pushed through the pain of his wounds, determined to keep going. After what felt like an eternity of walking, Thalleous spotted a gate at the end of the crags.

"HEY!" Thalleous shouted with joy, waving his arms. "OVER HERE!"

The gate remained closed, but Thalleous didn't slow down. He ran towards it, disregarding his injuries and clutching the kid and his belongings tightly. As he approached the gate, Thalleous collapsed from exhaustion right before the entrance. Only then did the gate open, revealing an old friend, Osivian, on the other side, greeting him.